Rep. Calter meets with Kingston selectmen on local drug problem

Saturday

Mar 1, 2014 at 9:00 AMMar 1, 2014 at 9:05 AM

There's no overstating the fact, Rep. Tom Calter, D-Kingston, says, that South Shore communities are under attack due to the use of several kinds of illicit drugs and prescription drugs in medicine cabinets falling into the wrong hands.

KINGSTON – This spice is dangerous and 500 times stronger than marijuana. It’s a synthetic drug that can be found at most any variety store.

There’s no overstating the fact, Rep. Tom Calter, D-Kingston, said, that South Shore communities are under attack due to the use of several kinds of illicit drugs and prescription drugs in medicine cabinets falling into the wrong hands.

Gummy bears soaked in alcohol were a reality in one town he represents, Calter told selectmen Tuesday night. He represents six towns and has visited them all to talk about the drug problem.

“It’s becoming more problematic than I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said.

Calter requested that selectmen ask the Board of Health to pass a regulation banning the sale of spice, referred to as synthetic marijuana, at variety stores that also sell food. He said the Legislature can’t regulate the sale of spice products off the shelves because it’s not intended to be inhaled. Selectmen are in favor of recommending that the Board of Health adopt such regulation.

Calter said he has spoken with many experts and read up on all kinds of studies, including learning that for eighth-graders spice is the most used drug behind marijuana and other inhalants.

The hallucinogenic states these drugs cause change lives, he said. The most commonly discussed drug flooding the streets in local communities is heroin. Calter said spice can be a pathway to opiates and then to heroin, a relatively inexpensive drug.

In 2012, 138 Kingston residents were hospitalized for alcohol or drug abuse, with 59 percent of these resident under the age of 29 and 45 percent overdosing from heroin, Calter said.

“What’s scary is that DPH (the state Department of Public Health) tells us that 50 percent of all people that try heroin will die from heroin overdose,” he said.

The drug Narcan can be used to save lives.

Calter requested that Kingston consider having its emergency medical responders be trained in the use of Narcan. Selectman Susan Munford, a police sergeant, suggested that police officers should also be trained in how to use it.

A 2-milliliter dose of Narcan sprayed up the nostrils can instantly counteract an overdose. The drug can also be administered intravenously.

Calter said resources, training and education are key to addressing this out-of-control problem on the South Shore. He encourages parents to open a line of communication with their children about the dangers of drugs.

He hosted a drug forum for parents at Silver Lake Regional High School in October and will host another one, which will be open to Kingston residents, at Plymouth North High School from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 1.